Last month, researchers at Cornell University and the University of Rochester published a paper in the FASEB Journal indicating that expectant mothers who consumed greater amounts of choline than usual may help lower their infants’ vulnerability to stress-related and metabolic disorders.
More choline in the mother’s diet leads to less cortisol in the foetus, which then decreases a baby’s lifelong risk of stress-related and metabolic disorders.
“The study is important because it shows that a relatively simple nutrient can have significant effects in prenatal life, and that these effects likely continue to have a long-lasting influence on adult life,” said Eva Pressman, study author. “While our results won’t change practice at this point, the idea that maternal choline intake could essentially change fetal genetic expression into adulthood is quite novel.”
Choline, which is an essential nutrient, cannot be synthesize by the body, so it must be consumed. It is found in such foods as eggs, meat, beans, and cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli, for example). It is also available in supplement form, including Truehope’s Phosphatidyl Choline.